Opinion page editor Rick Holmes and other writers blog about national politics and issues. Holmes & Co. is a Blog for Independent Minds, a place for a free-flowing discussion of policy, news and opinion. This blog is the online cousin of the Opinion
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Opinion page editor Rick Holmes and other writers blog about national politics and issues. Holmes & Co. is a Blog for Independent Minds, a place for a free-flowing discussion of policy, news and opinion. This blog is the online cousin of the Opinion section of the MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, Mass. As such, our focus starts there and spreads to include Massachusetts, the nation and the world. Since successful blogs create communities of readers and writers, we hope the \x34& Co.\x34 will also come to include you.

Two quick reports from the front:
- In a significant retreat from its previous position, Eric Holder’s Justice Department has announced it won’t impose federal laws on states that have legalized marijuana. It’s about time.
- But in Framingham, it’s still the cops vs. the hippies. “The Grateful Head,” the town’s first head since cops trashed the Psychedelic Emporium a decade ago, opened on Rte. 9 this spring, with all the necessary permits from town departments. Now the Framingham Police have shut it down and seized its inventory. As a result, the town is facing yet another potentially expensive lawsuit.
So in Washington, officials are finally starting to hear the voices of the people and adjust to the 21st century. But it’s still 1968 in Framingham. Here’s a question to ponder: When are the civilians in Framingham going to take charge of their police department?